The 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will once again bring together some of the year’s most acclaimed Oscar-nominated filmmakers for its highly anticipated panel series, taking place at the historic Arlington Theatre. The panels provide audiences with a rare opportunity to hear directly from the artists shaping this year’s most celebrated films.
The series will feature five in-depth conversations highlighting the creative forces behind the camera across various disciplines including:
Women’s Panel
Saturday, February 7 at 11:00 AM
Moderated by Madelyn Hammond, President of Madelyn Hammond & Associates
Panelists include Miyako Bellizzi, Costume Designer (“Marty Supreme”); Laia Casanovas, Sound Team (“Sirat”); Yvett Merino, Producer (“Zootopia 2”); Natalie Musteata, Director (“Two People Exchanging Saliva”); Alisa Payne, Producer (“The Perfect Neighbor”); and Ashley Schlaifer, Producer (“Train Dreams”).
Casting Directors Panel
Saturday, February 7 at 2:00 PM
Moderated by Debra Birnbaum, Gold Derby
Panelists include Gabriel Domingues (“The Secret Agent”); Nina Gold (“Hamnet”); Cassandra Kulukundis (“One Battle After Another”); Francine Maisler (“Sinners”); and Jennifer Venditti (“Marty Supreme”).
Producers Panel
Sunday, February 8 at 11:00 AM
Moderated by Nicole Sperling, The New York Times
Panelists include Ronald Bronstein (“Marty Supreme”), Jerry Bruckheimer (“F1”); J. Miles Dale (“Frankenstein”); Maria Ekerhovd (“Sentimental Value”); Nicolas Gonda (“Hamnet”); Ed Guiney (“Bugonia”); Emilie Lesclaux (“The Secret Agent”); Marissa McMahon (“Train Dreams”); Sara Murphy (“One Battle After Another”); and Sev Ohanian (“Sinners”).
International Directors Panel
Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 PM
Moderated by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling
Panelists include Kaouther Ben Hania (“The Voice of Hind Rajab”); Oliver Laxe (“Sirat”); Kleber Mendonça Filho (“The Secret Agent”); Jafar Panahi (“It Was Just an Accident”); and Joachim Trier (“Sentimental Value”).
Writers Panel
Saturday, February 14 at 11:00 AM
Moderated by Anne Thompson, indieWire
Panelists include Clint Bentley (“Train Dreams”); Ronald Bronstein (“Marty Supreme”); Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein”); Jafar Panahi (“It Was Just an Accident”); Will Tracy (“Bugonia”); and Eskil Vogt (“Sentimental Value”).
SBIFF will also present a retrospective honoring two-time Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley, who will appear in person following a free screening of Focus Features’ HAMNET on Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 PM at the historic Arlington Theatre. Directed by Chloé Zhao, the film, which earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Buckley and Best Picture, stars Buckley opposite Paul Mescal as Agnes Shakespeare in the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel exploring love and loss. For her performance, Buckley also received BAFTA and SAG The Actor Award nominations, in addition to winning both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award. Buckley first garnered international attention with her breakout performance in Wild Rose, later earning her first Academy Award nomination for The Lost Daughter. She has since built an acclaimed body of work spanning film, television and stage, including Women Talking, Fargo, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things. As part of the retrospective, WILD ROSE and THE LOST DAUGHTER will screen on Saturday, February 14.
The 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place February 4-14, 2026. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre and the new McHurley Film Center. Passes for the 2026 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
Other recently announced tributes include Michael B. Jordan (Outstanding Performer of the Year Award), Adam Sandler (Maltin Modern Master Award), Stellan Skarsgård (Montecito Award), Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro (Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award), Kate Hudson (Arlington Artist of the Year Award), Ethan Hawke (American Riviera Award) and Virtuosos Award recipients including Jacob Elordi, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Chase Infiniti, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku, Wagner Moura, Sydney Sweeney and Teyana Taylor.
About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 40 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, to engage, enrich, and inspire through film.
Sponsors of the 41st SBIFF include: Nora McNeely Hurley Foundation, FIJI Water, Santa Barbara City, Yardi, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Panavision, John C. Mithun Foundation, US Bank, Sonos, The Veraison Fund, Montecito Bank & Trust, The Fund for Santa Barbara, ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties, Kaleidoscope Productions, Patagonia, Film Florida, Towbes Fund for the Performing Arts, American Society of Cinematographers, The Santa Barbara Independent, Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, Bentson Foundation, Morton Family Foundation, Zegar Family Fund, Volentine Family Foundation, Toad&Co, El Encanto, Longoria Wines, Topa Topa Brewing Company, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, and many more generous supporters through donations and trade.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in the local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to high school and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition and recent renovation of a state-of-the-art Film Center will be a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.
